Only God can make a tree. He made winter, too, but this combination of the two is magical.

I took this picture this morning near the railway station.

China Starts Campaign Against Bad Signs

Too bad we can't get something similar going in Britain. Then maybe we'd be spared such delicacies as "tomato's" or "fish and chip's".

All apostrophes (not "apostrophe's") found wandering without a collar and tag bearing their owner's (or owners') name and address should be taken to the pound.

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Pretty good result [grinning hugely]

Of course it's not exactly a surpise, given the way the questions are worded. I must admit, though, that Sikhism took me a little by surprise, but then I know almost nothing of it. I shall have to investigate further.

My next highest result was Bah'ai followed by Sikhism, with Orthodox Judaism coming in at 88%.

According to the SelectSmart.com Belief System Selector, my #1 belief match is Reform Judaism. What do you believe? Visit SelectSmart.com/RELIGION

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More on Israel

For a potted history that's a lot lighter on reading than Myths and Facts, go to Conceptwizard.com and click on any of the presentations.

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And on the subject of Israel ...

I believe in the miracle of the state of Israel. I believe that the state of Israel has a right to exist, and to defend her borders like any other nation state. Therein lies the problem: Israel is not treated as any other nation state. She is demonized in a way that no other nation state is or has been. I do not believe that Israel is, or should be immune from criticism, anymore than I feel my own country of Britain is or should be immune from criticism. But the climate of organized hostility towards Israel makes it very difficult to criticize her, because it is like kicking a man when he's down.

Israel has been accused of war crimes. Interestingly, so has Britain: over the sinking of the General Belgrano during the Falklands War. There were also allegations of mistreatment of Argentine POWs. And there is a very large question mark over the conduct of the British Army on "Bloody Sunday" when 13 people were killed after a civil rights march in Northern Ireland (you can follow the progress of the enquiry at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry website). I do not recall any howls for Britain's head on a platter, nor for the United Kingdom to be expelled from the UN.

The USA's treatment of prisoners at Camp X-Ray has aroused worldwide protest. I do not recall anyone suggesting a boycott of the US.

Other countries have been in breach of UN resolutions and allowed to go peacefully about their business. Indonesia's treatment of East Timor springs to mind.

And, on the subject of ignoring UN resolutions, what about resolution 181? That was the resolution by which the state of Israel was established. The Arab world refused to recognize it. They rejected a deal that would have given them seventy-five per cent of the area called Palestine.

Arab Israelis have full democratic rights in the state of Israel. That includes Arab women. Contrast that with the position of women in, say, Saudi Arabia.

If you want to know more about the conflict, go to Myths and Facts : a Guide to the Arab-Israel Conflict.

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And on the subject of Israeli singers ...

Let us not forget the late, great, Ofra Haza. Translations of the songs on her 50 Gates of Wisdom album (also released as Yemenite Songs) can be found on this page.